The wife, a 34-year-old surnamed Chan, reported the case on the morning of Oct. 17 at their apartment in the Ocean One residential development in Yau Tong, Kowloon.

Chan suspected her 40-year-old husband, surnamed Lam, had stolen two Hermes and one Chanel bags worth HK$300,000 and a HK$150,000 Rolex watch, the South China Morning Post reported, citing police.

Officers arrested Lam on suspicion of theft after a preliminary investigation and detained him for further inquiries.

The watch and the three bags had gone missing with no sign of a break-in, Sing Tao Headline reported. Suspecting someone inside the home, Chan pressed for answers and called police when she got none.

A criminal investigation team in the Kwun Tong police district has taken over the case and is tracing the watch and bags, the news site said. Investigators are also looking into a possible motive, including whether debt was involved or the goods were resold for cash.

A man walks past a Hermes-branded wall in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Illustration photo by Chi Lok Tsang/Unsplash

Hong Kong's Theft Ordinance applies to married couples as it would if they were not married, and theft carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Proceedings against someone for stealing a spouse's property can only be brought by or with the consent of the Secretary for Justice. The rule does not prevent police from making an arrest.